


On the Run From Insanity

by caboodles (orphan_account)



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Afterlife?, Angst, Character Death, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I wrote this a long time ago before Mad King Ryan happened so that's why Geoff's the crazy one, M/M, Mad King!Geoff, Poison, Psychoteeth, R&R Connection - Freeform, Respawn?, Team Nice Dynamite, but only a little cause I'm a big baby, minecraft au, tw gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 13:16:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1227781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/caboodles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan and Ray narrowly escape Geoff the first time, but their time is running out.</p><p>(Ryan/Ray)</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Run From Insanity

**Author's Note:**

> ((Working title, suggestions welcomed!))  
> Another old draft I polished up today for my favorite pairing. Enjoy!  
> Also, a heads up: there is gore but it's not terribly descriptive since I'm too wimpy to really write gory stuff... That's where the rating comes in

Ryan gripped the handle of his sword tighter, slowing his breath to minimize noise. Beside him, Ray visibly shook with fear. The Lad's hands were clutching desperately at the creeper scarf in his hands; they'd found it hanging from a tree branch, torn and cold. The only signs of conflict had been a series of gashes along the tree, but there was no blood.

They had been separated for nearly the whole afternoon now, and the two had no idea where Michael and Gavin had gone. The thought of Jack, however, was a miserable wrench in their stomachs. Ray and Ryan had been there with the kind ginger when Geoff snapped, when Geoff ran him through as if it was nothing. They had immediately scattered.

Michael and Gavin were already past the forest, well on their way to Achievement City, when it happened. Ryan barked a warning to the other two Lads as he took Ray's hand and silently urged him faster. He just barely heard Michael's startled affirmation before the radio communicators fizzled out.

Geoff had been preoccupied with Jack (a sickening thought, Ryan felt) long enough for him to get Ray to a more secluded area. They hurried beneath the cover of the oaks (where they'd found the scarf, a ways from the city) until it gave way to the banks of one of the rivers. They stopped under a tree and crouched low for cover. They didn't hear anything, but Ryan was still wary of the King. Geoff had been just fine that morning. How had it come to this?

Ray had begun to shake as soon as they'd stopped. The shock was starting to get to him, Ryan could tell. He pulled the Lad close, wrapping his arms around him to calm him. The tremors slowed, but his heart pounded hard against Ryan's forearm. He offered a small squeeze and Ray finally moved, pressing into Ryan and drawing in a shallow breath. Dark curls brushed against Ryan's chin and Ryan wanted to stay like this for as long as he could for Ray's sake, but he knew it wasn't the time.

“Ray,” he breathed. “Do you have a shovel with you?” Ray nodded, pulled back, and procured the tool. Ryan took it and began digging a hole down. Ray followed him slowly, carefully. When he was seven or so feet below the surface, hit a cavern. He widened the opening to the cave so they could get in before he went back and sealed the opening almost completely up, leaving an unassuming hole for air.

The dark was bleak,as hopeless as they were. Even with the emergency torch Ryan lit, the walls were nearly pitch black and cold. The dirt crumbled down in small clumps but held firm for the most part, for which Ryan was extremely grateful. Ray had slumped into the corner, shaking, but less than before. Ryan took the place next to him again, snaking his arm around Ray's shoulders and tugging him to his chest. Ray let out a choked sob; Ryan realized this was the first time he'd seen Ray cry. The smaller man was always so calm, so collected, and it hurt Ryan to see him so broken. The scarf was still clutched in Ray's fists.

Ryan pressed his lips to Ray's temple. The shaking nearly stopped, but Ryan didn't have time to think about why now. They had to keep calm and get some sleep while they were hidden. “Ray,” he whispered again. “We need to try to get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay,” Ray whispered back, voice steadier than his body. He sat up a bit, heat ebbing away from Ryan. Before he could morn the loss of Ray's warmth in the chilly air, though, he gained the feeling of lips soft on his cheek and of stubble scratching at his chin. His eyes snapped up to search Ray's, but the Lad's gaze was soft as he pulled away. Ray lay down on the damp dirt and patted the ground next to him. Ryan, still a bit thunderstruck, slowly moved to lay beside him. Ray's fingers laced with his and sleep came fast to both of them. It didn't even cross Ryan's mind to have one of them keep watch.

\---

The room was colder when Ryan woke up. He blinked- since when were torches that bright?- in the light.

 _Sunlight_ , he realized with a start, and shot up. The room was empty and the entrance had been clawed open. A wave of rage pulsed through Ryan's veins and he yanked the iron sword from its sheath at his belt. Without a second thought, he clambered out of the hole.

Outside, Ray was secured to one of the trees, bruised and bloody, but very much alive. His face lit up when he saw Ryan, but immediately the expression turned to urgency, struggling to scream around the gag in his mouth. Ryan's hair on the back of his neck bristled and he turned around, but it was too late. A sharp pain caught his shoulder, quickly wrenching free with a squelch. The flash of color on the arm wasn't necessary for Ryan to verify that it was Geoff that had caught them. He fell to his knees.

“Pity,” Geoff mused. “This could have been so much more fun. Oh, well, you'll die soon, anyway. That's a nasty wound you've got there. I doubt you'll last long.” He traced a finger through the blood left on the gleaming diamond sword. The poisoned crown glistened in the morning light, shining an odd mixture of green and gold. The metal wove in and out of his hair, snaking around his head and contaminating the once-kind King. God, Ryan hated that crown. It was the reason they were all in this mess, but he could never blame Geoff. He'd been like a father to them all, despite the absence of age gap between him and the Gents. But now...

Ryan mustered a glare. “Le... Let him g-go,” he coughed.

“No can do, Geoff laughed. “I'm going to have some fun with this.”

“P-please.” _Please, Geoff, I know you're in there,_ he thought desperately.

“You got a reason why I should? Do tell.”

“Geo... ff... Please,” Ryan sobbed. His vision was starting to grow cloudy as wave after wave of blood left his shoulder, pooling in the grass and plastering his clothes to his chest.

Geoff stroked his beard in mock consideration. “Nah.” He leaned in. “I'm gonna let you watch me kill him. It'll be nice and slow, then I'll leave you two and find those other dickheads.”

With that, Geoff turned to the struggling Lad, slashing out at his stomach. Blood immediately welled up and tears streamed down Ray's face. Geoff leaned in and ripped the gag from his face, and Ray's panting screams assaulted Ryan's ears. The pain numbed him; he couldn't move or speak, just listen to the sobs and yells. His vision blurred into blobs of light and color, the shape he knew to be Ray's slumped over, a strangled noise met his ears, and everything went black.

\---

Dying was extremely painful, but Ryan was in a more excruciating amount of agony when he woke. His shoulder throbbed angrily but the blood was no longer rushing through any sort of puncture. The sound of sobbing was still present, but it wasn't his anymore.

It was Geoff's. And someone else's, but he couldn't tell whose it was yet. There was a dull light past his eyelids, so he slowly cracked them open. He was in his house, somehow.

No, something was different. Where was the nearly-constant clucking? Where was Edgar?

He sat up as soon as he could, turning to face the source of the noise. His door was open, and outside he could make out two figures of the logo- one of whom was Geoff, he could hear. They were close (hugging?) but Ryan couldn't tell tho the second person was. When he got up and left the house- which was completely devoid of any animal life, for whatever reason- Ryan caught a glimpse of light orange hair.

But that was impossible. Jack was dead! He couldn't be here in Achievement City. But, then again, neither could Ryan. He'd died, too.

Gavin's door swung open, interrupting Ryan's thoughts, and the green-clad man sprinted towards Michael's house. He stumbled at the door, using the knob to pull himself up and throwing it open at the same time Michael made a grab for it from inside. Gavin's relieved screech reached Ryan's ear at the same time that Jack noticed him. The ginger pulled away from the still-shaking Geoff, walking over to Ryan.

“Jack?”

“Yeah, it was a surprise to me, too,” Jack nodded, understanding exactly what Ryan was thinking. He'd always had a knack for doing that. “I think... I think we're all dead.”  
  
The news hit Ryan like a ton of bricks, and yet, it didn't faze him at all. “Oh. Does that mean...” he gestured to Geoff, Gavin, and Michael, the latter of which was enveloped in one of Gavin's bone-crushing hugs.

“I think so. Geoff said that he...” Jack trailed off, letting Ryan fill in the blank. Ryan nodded thoughtfully.

“I'm sorry,” he told Jack after a moment.

“For what?”

“I don't know. Just... everything that's happened.”

“Don't be. I'm fine,” Jack smiled warmly, patting Ryan's shoulder lightly. The phantom pain had long since subsided and Jack's touch was familiar and comforting.

Ryan opened his mouth to ask about Geoff, but at that moment another door creaked open, and Ryan's heart stopped. His eyes moved immediately to the smaller dirt house. To the brown haired man stepping cautiously out.

And he started running.

Jack didn't call after him; neither did Geoff, crownless and sobbing and nursing a huge headache. Ryan covered half the distance in no time as Ray met him there. His arms flew around the younger man and his face buried itself in Ray's hair. Ray half-laughed, half-sobbed as Ryan held him. His glasses pressed into Ryan's neck as he squeezed him hard. They didn't pull away for a long time, and, when they did, Ryan leaned in quickly, into the sweetest kiss he'd ever had. Ray wrapped his arms around Ryan's shoulders. When they broke apart again, Ray whispered, “Don't let me go again.”

Ryan chucked breathily and returned, “I wouldn't dare.”

 


End file.
